HeroesCon 2024 Recap

BlogConventions
Written By GENO

Even though HeroesCon took place over a month ago, a proper recap was necessary. This was my second straight year going and I look forward to making this an annual trip. In short, this year’s event showed fans exactly why it’s the best comic convention around. So let’s break it down.

One aspect conventions need to do well in is with their programming. I’ve touched on it before and continue to say that the panels and events help round out a convention weekend. When you look at a full two or three day event, it can’t just be a dealer’s room. HeroesCon excelled in this regard.

This year’s show was loaded with comic book related content. Although there were several panels I wanted to attend, I only made it to two. Those were the “Under Covers: A Cover Artists Roundtable” and “Lettering: Drawing in a Different Way.” Both panels featured guests who were active participants in engaging conversations. And for the latter, specifically, the craft of lettering could always use a signal boost as it continues to be underappreciated.

The guest list is another major area a comic convention can focus on to distinguish itself. Prior to my trip last year, this was a major factor in going to HeroesCon. There’s a reason I often repeat the phrase “their guest list is stacked.” And that’s because HeroesCon brings in an absolute ton of talent; from industry veterans to newer creators.

Even if I hadn’t already planned on going back, I would have gone just to meet Joshua Middleton. That’s the power of a strong guest list. This year’s show included names such as Laura Martin, Gene Ha, Rick Leonardi, Lee Weeks, Khoi Pham, John Romita Jr., Jim Shooter, Roy Thomas, Dexter Vines, Jenny Frison, Sanford Greene, Rico Renzi and many more.

Related to the guest list is the creator price list. It’s a great resource all convention organizers should utilize. Traveling for convention weekends where additional spending is anticipated often involves budgeting for many people. It’s a time for people to meet some of their favorite creators and get books signed and/or commission sketches. People usually like to know ahead of time how much these will cost. Having this info better prepares everyone. There are two caveats, however. One, sometimes creators have to cancel appearances. The other is prices could potentially change between the time they were originally quoted and the event.

As many people throughout the community continue to state: this is a show for the comic fans. This was evidenced by the schedule and guests. But at the core, the comics reign supreme. And the comics available covered the spectrum. There were dealers with 50-cent and dollar books up to multiple thousand dollar comics. I held a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man’s first appearance, with a price tag of $95,000. You could also find trade paperbacks, hardcovers and graphic novels of various sizes and prices. This included mainstream and independent books. Whatever you were looking to read and/or collect, there was a strong chance you could find it.

As for content on my end, I fell short on my photo galleries. They weren’t nearly as extensive as I anticipated or as my own history has dictated. It’s just one of those things that happen when balancing video and picture content as well as just experiencing the weekend.

I did, however, mix up the content between here, YouTube and Twitter. I’ve found that besides thoughts and pictures, Twitter (or X), is great for sharing pieces of the conversations from panels. I look forward to expanding how I cover the convention next year.

Looking at a typical three day comic convention, you can break it down to three core pillars: comic dealers, comic creator guests and programming. Everything else is, as they say, icing on the cake. Part of that everything else is of course the cosplay. My X-Men and Supergirl bias is on full display.

One other piece of this show I want to touch on was the spacing. This was a discussion among those who went and those who watched coverage. There were plenty of people in attendance, but they weren’t crowded up and bumping into each other. That’s a testament to the effective use of space and the booth layout.

Yes, people, after a month removed from the convention, this officially wraps my HeroesCon 2024 coverage. Below this you will find all the links to my coverage from the weekend across here and YouTube.

GENO
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HeroesCon 2024: Sunday Photo Gallery